Windows 7: Something triggered as infected?

drfsupercenter · 27 Aug 2009

So I was doing a virus scan with Malwarebytes...

Only one thing came up, and this is what it showed:

Quote:

Registry Data Items Infected:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoActiveDesktopChange s (Hijack.DisplayProperties) -> Bad: (1) Good: (0) -> No action taken.

What is that? Is that a custom Windows 7 configuration? Because it's obviously flagged as a virus and I haven't known Malwarebytes to have lots of false positives. I just want to be sure this is safe, and if it is... does anybody know how to stop Malwarebytes from reporting it as infected?

stevieray · 27 Aug 2009

Malwarebytes flags that registry key when the value has been changed from 0 (the default setting) to 1.

Some malware sets the value to 1 because that locks the desktop settings. If you set it back to 0 the warnings should go away on your next scan.

Edit: If Malwarebytes had detected additional signs of infection, it would have reset the value to 0 on its own. Since that was the only problem it found, it assumed you set the desktop to "lock" yourself.

Airbot · 27 Aug 2009

As Stevieray has mentioned, it's just a registry entry and is not harmful. You can let Malwarebytes "fix it" or manually do it yourself, which is just setting it to zero. Nothing to worry about.

drfsupercenter · 28 Aug 2009

So what does that mean, locked desktop settings? Is it like that by default, or would I have accidentally set it?

stevieray · 28 Aug 2009

The default is unlocked.

This exists so a computer administrator can keepthe other users from changing the way the desktop looks and acts.

Some games use this key to save your desktop display settings... I really don't know why, but they do. Sometimes these games forget to change it back when they shut down.

drfsupercenter · 28 Aug 2009

Hmm... I'm the only user on this computer, so I should automatically be an administrator.

No harm done if I make it unlocked, right? It was probably one of my oldish games that doesn't know how to configure Windows 7 correctly.

stevieray · 28 Aug 2009

The oldish game is a likely culprit. No harm if you change it back to 0.

And as an aside... you, as the only user, are an administrator by default, but not a true administrator. Confusing? Yes. If you want full administrative privileges, you'll have to grant yourself them. Yes, I know... WTF?... but that's the way it is. The default administrator is a weak administrator.

drfsupercenter · 28 Aug 2009

How do I make myself a true administrator? Is it possible?

zigzag3143 · 28 Aug 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by drfsupercenter

How do I make myself a true administrator? Is it possible?

True administrator? Do You mean a member of the admin group, or do you mean the hidden Super admin?

Ken

drfsupercenter · 28 Aug 2009

What's a Super Admin?

I mean whatever gives me the privilege to do whatever I want on my computer.

Windows 7: Something triggered as infected?

Something triggered as infected? problems?